Funny Grumpy Cat!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock these past couple of months, you've probably heard of "grumpy cat" and seen a few funny memes of him! I literally laugh my kolo off! Look at that face!

A few words about Grumpy Cat.........

Grumpy Cat is a nickname given to an angry looking snowshoe cat that gained online fame after its pictures were posted to Reddit on late September 2012 and went viral. The cat is also known as “Tard” which is short for Tardar (Tartar) Sauce.The cat belongs to Arizona resident Tabatha Bundesen.

 A few of my favorite memes.....

 

The more you look at his face the funnier he gets!

My favorite out of ALL of them!

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And although I am a dog person and don't care so much for cats, here is a cat who reminds us we  only live once! How cute is this guy?!

Village WalkThrough- Kastania

Today I'm going to show you pictures from my tour of Kastania Village. This was the first village I visited on my birthday last month where I did the 4 village walk throughs in one day. I've never been here before, which I can't believe because it is gorgeous! I could actually see myself living here. Well, not really, but you get the gist. So anyhoo, a little information on Kastania.....(which means "chestnut" by the way!)

The village of Kastania lies in the western part of Samos. It is built amidst dense vegetation on the hillsides of mount Fterias, which is part of the Kerkis mountain range. It was named after the abundant chestnut trees that grew there in the past. With its architecture, greenery and beautiful squares, the village boasts a distinctive beauty and a unique charm. There are a lot of springs in the area, which was originally inhabited by settlers from Epirus, a region in north-western Greece. During the World War II Kastania became a symbol of the Samian resistance movement. (mygreektrip.com)

               Just before taking this turn and seeing the sign for Kastania, there is this old deserted house.

That of course I had to take a closer look of. I wanted to see inside and imagine how it was to live in.

Pink walls, a floor and roof almost completely caved in, I didn't want to risk going any further in, although I really wanted too.

            The basement, and you can see where the arrow points the upstairs floor ready to cave in.

                                   Almost up to the village now, this is the view of Karlovasi.

                                                     This house of course caught my eye.

I couldn't get a good shot of the entryway with my camera, but literally a few days later on Facebook, I came across this picture by Niko Chatziiakovou and thought, "no way!"

                                                                              Perfect!

This house was really high up on hill so I couldn't get a better look without somebody getting suspicious!

                                                            A halfway house, maybe?

                                                              I love these old houses.

                                                                    Nice stonework!

                                                       Coming up now on the plateia.

                                                  Down a ways is the elementary school.

And here is the plateia!

                                                               A very old house for sale.

You know me, I looked through that door but didn't see anything, they've put up a tarp unfortunately.

            The impressive church. I didn't get the name of it though because nobody was around to ask.

                                  Wonder what all these doors are for right below the church?

                                                          A view from someone's garden.

                                            This little guy followed me around for a while!

                      To be honest I got a little lost through all the paths and streets. But I loved it.

                                                               Old, mixed with new!

            Not so sure about this place. It is overgrown with trees inside and has no roof as you can see.

I took this picture from far away. Can you see the way the house is painted? Very cool. This house is near the elementary school.

                      I would take this old house over any new house anyday! Am I crazy or what?

  And lastly, the amazing view of Karlovasi! Thank you for touring Kastania Village with me! To see my other village walkthoughs, click to right under my menu for "Village Walkthroughs"

                                 Next stop.....a long overdue post on Ireon Village, so stay tuned!

Village Walk through- Lekka

Back in December on my birthday it just so happened that Vasili had a soccer game that same day in Karlovasi, so I came up with the brilliant idea of tackling these 3 villages in one day. Kosmadei, Kastania, and Lekka (or "Leka", same thing). I got a bonus driving to Kosmadei, there is also a little village on the way there called Nikoloudes. I'm saving that gem for another walk through post.
A little bit of information on Lekka....
The village is located 4 km southwest of Karlovasi. The name derives from its first inhabitant, an Albanian named Lekka who came to Samos to escape from the persecution of the Turks sometime probably around 1715. The village has an excellent view to the northeast, and you can see the valley and city of Karlovasi. I've never been here before, nor have I been to the other 3 villages I visited that birthday day. I feel like I'm not doing these villages justice because I usually visit them during siesta time when everyone is home and sleeping, and the weather is very dreary in the winter time.

 

I took this picture AFTER I was done visiting the village. Look at those threatening clouds!

 From the drive up to Lekka,  this is the view of Karlovasi and Vasili's game where he is the referee.

Yes, that is him! I'm surprised my little camera zooms so well!

The road leading up to Lekka.

 This dear lady told me a little about the village and that there are only about 300 occupants now in Lekka.

Apparently they are to keep the birds away.

                                 Tons of houses like these! They are HUGE up close! I love them!

                                                            The entryway with steep stairs.

       Across the way I looked through the window of a deserted house and found this. Love that cabinet!

        Came upon this corner house that is being renovated and like the snoop I am, asked the workers if I
                                                                   could look inside!

                  This is the basement, I love all the stonework and that they are keeping everything original.

                                                                 A well in the basement!

                                          A little further down the path I came upon these guys!

                                                          A fountain area close to the plateia.

                              Coming up on the plateia is the post office, a few tavernas and cafenios

                     Lovely plateia with a gorgeous view of Karlovasi. I bet it is beautiful in the summer!

                                                                      Another fountain.

                                                       Wow! This is two residences in one.

 

Came this far and then turned back, it was getting late and it was getting cold!

     From the parking lot of Lekka, I spotted this house (maybe an old restaurant?) across the way.

                                                                   And this corner house!

 After this amazing day of village exploring, I had a birthday dinner date with Vasili at the Mexican restaurant.

                      So there you go! A little taste of Lekka. Check out my other village walk throughs of....Konteika ..Manolates .... Paleokastro .... Stavrinides ...and .. Vourliotes. more to come so stay tuned!